[Fsf-friends] Broadening human resources

[Ramanraj K]

I came across an article titled "Open Source Apps Broadening the Human
Resources  World"  http://www.technewsworld.com/story/52761.html  that
begins with the introduction:

<quote>
    Software is  ultimately composed of congealed ideas,  so ideas are
    very important  in the minds  of software developers.  The  key to
    market  power  in the  software  industry  lies  in the  minds  of
    developers. Fashion  plays a role too; some  ideas are fashionable
    and  some are  not. The  idea, or  philosophy, of  open  source is
    powerful, frictionless, and seductive.
</quote>

The  article highlights an  important advantage  available *currently*
with free software:

<quote>

   OSS  developers benefit  from a  reduction in  the friction-to-idea
   exchange that  commercial enterprises  engender through the  use of
   lawyers, contracts,  and payments.  They experiment with  new tools
   immediately  instead  of  paying  for legally  licensed  access  to
   technologies.

   OSS is winning the minds of developers -- and that is precious real
   estate
</quote>

Would the GPLv3 take away the  advantage?  I don't know, but time will
tell.  A gentle warning has already been issued:

http://www.law.duke.edu/journals/dltr/articles/2003dltr0023.html

<quote>
    The [US]  Supreme Court spoke clearly to  clarify the relationship
    between  copyright  and   trademark  law,  cautioning  against  an
    extension  of trademark  law  into an  area  covered by  copyright
    law. Understanding this relationship is of great value to writers,
    artists, and creators;  for Fox and the other  respondents in this
    case, that understanding came at a price of $1.6 million.
</quote>

If the free software community  could see the distinction, it may make
room  for  more  widespread  growth  and  adoption.   Of  course,  not
understanding  means a  kind of  self destruction  that is  not really
deserved.